Material handling pallet or skid for lifting trucks and the like



July 9 19 W. 0. H. BKTNEY MATERIAL HANDLING PALLET OR SKID FOR LIFTING TRUCKS AND THE LIKE Filed June 5, 1947 INVE NTOR.

flaw 5/7 770 ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1949.

ram FFlCE arrears MATERIAL at is.

it PALLET OR S FOR LIFTING TCKS AND THE LI Dewey H. lBitney, Steel Products poration of Michigan Albion, Mich, assignor to Union Company, Albion, Micln, a cor- Appiication June 5, 1947, Serial No. 752,750 12 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) This invention relates to improvements in material handlingpallets r skids for lifting trucks and the like.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a material handling pallet or skid for lifting trucks and the like which is light in weight and at the same time very strong and rigid and capable of supporting and carrying heavy loads.

Second, to provide a pallet or skid of the character described fabricated entirely of metal.

Third, to provide a pallet or skid which may be engaged by the forks of a lifting truck when the forks are presented from any one of the four sides of the pallet or skid or cornerwise thereof.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is iilustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of a mate- I rials handling pallet or skid embodying the invention, a portion of the grid-like top or platform being illustrated.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section on a line corresponding to the broken line i--2 of Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of one corner of the pallet or skid.

Fig. t is a fragmentary perspective view of an intermediate portion of the pallet or skid.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view partially in section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the grid-like top or platform designated generally by the numeral 6 comprises an upper series of parallel wire or light rod slats 2 and a lower series of parallel wire or light rod slats 3 arranged in crossing relation to the upper series and welded thereto at the crossing point as conventionally indicated at i, the other weld connections not being illustrated.

Tie rods or reinforcing rods it are arranged on the under sides of the under series of slats adjacent their outer ends and welded thereto as indicated at t. This rod serves the double purpose of supporting the under series of slats and as means for attachment of the base legs there= to as will be hereinafter described.

The base comprises outer base bars l and 3 and intermediate base bars 9 and it. The outer base bars 71 and t are disposed withtheir meeting ends in lapping relation, the bars 3 in the embodiment illustrated being superimposed on the bars l and the superimposed portions bein upwardly oflset as indicated at ii. The superimposed parts are welded together as indicated at M in Fig. 5, all of the welds, however, not being indicated in the drawing.

The bars I have upturned leg portions 63 at their ends while the bars 8 have upturned leg portions it at their ends, the adjacent edges of these leg portions being welded together at It. The legs it of the outer bar l are welded to the inner sides of the rods 5 as indicated at it, while the legs M of the outer bar 8 are welded to the end slats of the lower series as indicated at illsee Fig. 3.

The intermediate bar 9 has upturned legs It welded at their ends to the inner sides of the tie rods 5, as indicated at It in Fig. 2.

The intermediate bar I0 has upturned legs 2t arranged on the inner sides of the outer slats of the lower series and welded thereto as indicated at 2!. The intermediate bar it is upset centrally at its ends to overlap the intermediate bar 9 and the outer bars l.

Supplemental leg members 22 are provided, these havingangularly disposed bottom portions 23 superimposed on and welded to the bar in as indicated at it. These supplemental legs 22 di verge upwardly from the leg 28 and have their upper ends welded to the adjacent slats of the lower series as indicated at 25 in Fig. i.

The center of the deck is supported by the U-shaped leg member 25 disposed with its bight ii on the bar it and welded thereto as indicated at 28 in Fig. 2. The upwardly diverging legs 29 of this center leg unit are welded to'the adjacent slats oi the under series as indicated at 30, Fig. 2.

The bars are longitudinally corrugated or have longitudinal reinforcing ribs it while the legs have longitudinal reinforcing ribs 32. This results in a rigid structure even when the parts are formed of relatively light stock. It will be appreciated that in handling various materials strength combined with lightness is a highly important factor and I have produced such a combination.

I have illustrated and described the invention in an embodiment which I consider highly practical. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe various adaptations thereof which I contemplate as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt the invention as may be desired. The grid type of platform is especially desirable in the agcombination illustrated but a sheet metal top or 3 platform or even a wood top or platform might be employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a grid-like top comprising upper and lower series of parallel wire slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and welded at their crossing points and tie rods disposed on the under sides of the under series of slats at the outer ends thereof and welded thereto, a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting ends of the outer bars in overlapping relation and terminating in upturnedintegral legs welded at their upper ends tothe inner sides of the outer slats of the under series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, the intermediate bottom bars being disposed in crossed relation with their outer ends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the bottom series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, angled supplemental legs of sheet metal for said intermediate bars welded thereto in opposed diverging relation to the said integral legs thereof and welded at their upper ends to adjacent slats of the top, and a central U-shaped leg of sheet metal disposed with its bight upon the intermediate bars at the crossing point thereof and welded thereto with its upper ends welded to adjacent slats of the top.

2. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a grid-like top comprising upper and lower series of parallel wire slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and welded at their crossing points and tie rods disposed on the under sides of the under series of slats at the outer ends thereof and welded thereto, a'base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting ends of the outer bars in overlapping relation and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the under series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, the intermediate bottom bars being disposed in crossed relation with their outer ends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the bottom series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, and a central U-shaped leg of sheet metal disposed with its ibight upon the intermediate bars at the crossing point thereof and welded thereto with its upper ends welded to adjacent slats of the top.

3. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a grid-like top comprising upper and lower series of parallel wire slats disposed with a the slats of the series in crossing relation and welded at their crossing points and tie rods dis- Posed on the under sides of the under series of slats at the outer ends thereof and welded thereto, a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting-ends of the outer bars in overlapping relation and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the under series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, the intermediate bottom bars being disposed in crossed relation with their outer ends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs their crossing 4 welded at their upper ends to the inner sides at the outer slats of the bottom series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, and angled supplemental legs of sheet metal for said intermediate bars welded thereto in opposed diverging relation to the said integral legs thereof and welded at their upper ends to adjacent slats of the top. I

4. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a grid-like top comprising upper and lower series of parallel wire slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and welded at points and. tie rods disposed on the under sides of the under series of slat at the outer end thereof and welded thereto, and a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting ends of the outer bars in overlapping relation and terminating in. upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to theinner sides of the outer slats oi the under series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, the intermediate bottom bars being disposed in crossed relation with their outer ends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the bottom series or to the inner sides of said tie rods.

5. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a grid-like top comprising upper and lower series of parallel wire slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossing relation and welded at their crossing points and tie rods disposed on the under sides of the under series of slats at the outer ends thereof and welded thereto, and a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting ends of the outer bars in overlapping relation and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the under series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, the adjacent legs being welded together at their adjacent edges, the intermediate bottom bars being disposed in crossed relation with their outer ends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the bottom series or to the inner sides of said tie rods, the superimposed lapping portions of said bottom bars being upwardly oflset, said bottom bars and legs having longitudinal reinforcing ribs.

6. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a top, and a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting ends or the with their outer ends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top, and a central leg mounted on the intermediate bars and fixedly secured to the top.

7 In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a top, and a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting ends of the I outer bars in overlapping relation and terminating in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top, the intermediate bottom bars being disposed in crossed relation with their outerends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top,

8. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a top, and a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally fiatwise with the meeting ends of the outer bars in overlapping relation and terminat-' ing in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top, the adjacent legs being welded together at their adjacent edges, the intermediate bottom bars being disposed in crossed relation with their outer ends in lapping relation to the outer bars and terminating in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top.

9. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a grid-like top comprising upper and lower series of parallel Wire slats disposed with the slats of the series in crossin relation and welded at their crossing points and tie rods disposed on the under sides of the under series of slats at the outer ends thereof and welded thereto, and a base comprising angularly associated bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally fiatwise with their meeting portions in overlapping relation and terminating in upturned integral legs welded at their upper ends to the inner sides of the outer slats of the under series or to the inner sides of said tie rods.

10. In a materials handling pallet, the com-- bination of a top, and a base comprising outer and intermediate bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting ends of the outer bars in overlapping relation and terminating in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top, the adjacent legs being welded together at their adjacent edges.

11. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a top, and a base comprising bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally flatwise with the meeting parts of the bars in overlapping relation, the bars terminating in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top, the superimposed lapping portions of said bars being upwardly offset.

12. In a materials handling pallet, the combination of a top, and a base comprising bars of sheet metal disposed horizontally fiatwise with the meeting parts of the bars in overlapping relation, the bars terminating in upturned integral legs fixedly secured at their upper ends to the top.

DEWEY H. BITNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

'Iri-State Engineering publication on page 33 of The Palletizer" for June 1946. Copy in Division 52. 

